Police renew appeal for missing Luke 11 years on

Luke Durbin Search: 1 a person walking a dog, in Dogs Head Street; 2 a cyclist seen in the vicinity around 4.16am; 3 and 4 a person in a hooded coat and dark trousers walking around the corner of Fore Street past the Spread Eagle at about 4.11am

Published:06:12Saturday 13 May 2017

Eleven years after 19-year-old Luke Durbin disappeared, police and his family are making an anniversary appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

Luke, from Hollesley, vanished from central Ipswich and was reported as missing by his mum Nicki on Saturday May 13, 2006.

Luke Durbin search: a person in the distance, who appears to be walking a dog, in Dogs Head Street, Ipswich, close to the pedestrian crossing.

With echoes of the Corrie McKeague case he had been on a night out with friends on Thursday May 11, 2006, but he separated from them in the early hours of Friday May 12 and the last confirmed sighting of him was on CCTV footage that shows him walking across Dogs Head Street in the direction of the bus station at 4am.

In a 2011 appeal DCI John Brocklebank, then in charge of the investigation, told the Bury Free Press: “He has a number of friends and associates in Bury St Edmunds.

“If we can find more people who knew about the way he lived his life it may help us find out what happened to him. I think the Bury St Edmunds area, the whole of West Suffolk, really, may hold the key to that.”

To try to trigger memories eleven years on, police are re-releasing CCTV images from the area that were first released in the early weeks of the investigation in a bid to trace those in the area at the time and police.

Luke Durbin search: cyclist seen in the vicinity around 4.16am.

Detective Inspector Kevin Hayward said; “Although a number of people came forward or were traced early in the investigation, there remain those in the area around the time of the last sighting of Luke who were not identified.

“All of those pictured in CCTV images issued at the time were treated as potential witnesses and this remains the case – there is nothing at this time to indicate they had any involvement in his disappearance – but we are keen to speak to them.”

Police would like to get contact details for any of the individuals shown in the images attached and are asking them to get in touch by calling the Major Investigation Team on 01473 782019.

DI Hayward added: “Following each anniversary appeal we have received calls, showing that this is still something that people have information on, so even eleven years after he was last seen we hope this new appeal may prompt a response that leads us to finding out what happened.”

Luke Durbin search: a person wearing a hooded coat and dark trousers walking around the corner of Fore Street, Ipswich, past the Spread Eagle public house about 4.11am.

In 2012 police made two arrests – one on suspicion of murder, the other on suspicion of being concerned in the murder of Luke Durbin – however both men faced no further action.

Anyone with information about Luke’s disappearance can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously if required, on 0800 555 111.

Luke Durbin search: a person wearing a hooded coat and dark trousers walking around the corner of Fore Street, Ipswich, past the Spread Eagle public house about 4.11am.